Greeting card and display



Sept. 26, 1961 A. J. PATERSON GREETING CARD AND DISPLAY Filed March 21, 1958 fiexander' d: Pa fersan IN V EN TOR.

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United States Patent 3,001,690 GREETING CARD AND DISPLAY Alexander J. Paterson, 2730 Brooks St., Salem, Oreg- Filed Mar. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 723,060 2 Claims. (Cl. 22992.8)

This invention relates to greeting cards, such as Christmas cards, Easter cards and the like, and more particularly to a card construction which facilitates mounting of plural numbers of cards one to another in an attractive manner with the cards securely held in lace.

P Generally it is an object of the invention to provide a card having an interlocking tab construction so positioned thereon as to accommodate the mounting of another card thereon having a similar tab, with both cards substantially fully in view. The tabs, through their interlocking fit and friction, maintain the cards in proper position after mounting of the cards.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a card of this description which also has a cover portion which may be folded over the tabs of the cards after two cards are secured together, and held folded over the tabs thereby to conceal them from view.

A related object is to provide a card which includes a tab for holding the cover portion of the card in an arched flexed condition over the back of the card when on display.

Greeting cards of various sorts have become widely accepted. For instance, a person may typically receive considerable number of cards on the advent of the Christmas season, when ill, on his or her birthday, or on other important occasions. The widespread use of greeting cards, while usually much appreciated, has created problems in display, both for the seller and the recipient. For instance, when a large number of cards are collected, they are displayed usually either by setting them up on end individually on a table or other flat surface, or by using strings or other mounting means. Since greeting cards are ordinarily made of relatively light cardboard, or paper, if they are not securely held in place, a sudden draft or air gust blows the cards over. Further, it is diificult to arrange all of a number of cards in a small space so that they are all easily seen.

This invention contemplates the provision of a number of elongated cuts in the backing portion of a card, so shaped as to define complementing tongues and slots disposed at opposite edge portions of the card. A tongue or tab of one card mates with a tongue or tab of another, and during fastening, is inserted in the cut of the other card which defines the mating tab. The result is a connection which firmly holds two cards together. By the construction a single card may have attached thereto and projecting out from the sides thereof two rows of cards, one row disposed normally to the other. In the usual instance, the cuts are formed at the top, bottom, and side edges of a card, and the rows extend out in vertical and horizontal directions.

In addition to enabling a series of cards to be united together in a fast fit, the tabs, in a folded card having a folding cover portion, accommodate fastening of the cover portion in place over the backing of the card. This permits viewing of the front face of the cover portion, and fixing of the cover portion in a position concealing the tab connection.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features will become apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fold-type card having a series of elongated arched cuts formed in the backing portion of the card, as contemplated by an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially broken away showing three, fold-type cards of different sizes and shapes attached together in a vertical line, showing the cover portion of one card secured in place over the backing portion of the card.

FIG. 3 is a section view along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view partially broken away, illustrating cards attached in a horizontal row and also showing how the cover portion of a card may be secured in place; and

FIGS illustrates a type of tab construction.

Referring now to the drawings for a description of embodiments of the invention, and in particular to FIG. 1, a greeting card 10 is illustrated comprising a flexible sheet body 11 folded intermediate its ends along fold line 1 2. The fold line separates the card into two portions, a backing portion 13 and a front or cover portion 14 joined together along one set of edges through the fold line. Conventionally the greeting card is comprised of paper, or thin cardboard type material. The body of the card may be a single, or multiple layer, as desired.

The card shown in FIG. 1 is a fold-type card. The invention may be used with cards comprised only of a backing portion, or with fold-type cards having multiple folds.

Arranged at the top, bottom and the two side edges of backing portion 13 are a plurality of elongated, nonlinear cuts, indicated at 16, 17, 18, and 19, respectively. These cuts are of substantially the same size, and each of the cuts intermediate its ends arches inwardly toward the center of the backing portion. The cuts, while adjacent the edges, are not right at the edges of the card, so that an imperforate margin remains around the outer perimeter of backing portion 13.

In the embodiment illustrated, the cuts have truncated, trapezoidal shapes, the cuts along opposite edges of the card being symmetrically alike but opposite, or allochiral. The cuts where they separate or divide the backing portion of the card each define a tongue portion or tab which projects toward the center of the backing portion. These tongues or tabs are indicated in FIG. 1 at 21, 22, 23, and 24.

A plurality of cards, each provided along their edges with cuts of the same size and proportion as those illustrated in FIG. 1, may be secured together for display purposes in a number of novel and attractive ways, a few of which are illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.

In FIG. 2, there is shown a number of cards secured together for display in a vertical row. The cards in FIG. 2 are illustrated as single fold-type cards, of the same type as shown in FIG. 1, although it should be obvious that other than this type may be so displayed.

' Referring, to FIG. 2, an intermediate card 30 is secured to a lower card 31 by placing a downwardly projecting tab or tongue 32 of card 31 through an elongated cut 33 formed near the bottomedge of card 30. At the same time, as can best be seen in FIG. 3, the tongue 34 of card 31 is inserted through out 36 of card 30 which defines tongue 32. The truncated, trapezoidal shapes of the cuts enable the tongues or tabs to wedge tightly side by side in the cuts.

' The interlocking connection produced is accompanied by tongue 32 of card 31 frictionally engaging with the lower imperforate margin of card 31, and upwardly projecting tongue 34 of card 30 frictionally engaging the lower imperforate margin portion of card 30. The tongue of tab of one card, in bending to make a fit, tends to bend the imperforate margin adjacent the tongue to ward the tab or tongue of the other card, which acts to increase the frictional grab between the cards. The organization produces a connection which holds the cards firmly from displacement.

With reference to cards 30, 31, it will be noted that the smaller of the cards, card 30 is mounted outwardly of and supports the .larger card, card 31, which is the lower card and depends from card 30. This method of mounting is used since the side to side dimension of card Sil'is less than the side to side dimension of card 3-1. With the smaller card placed outwardly of the larger card, the cover portions for the cards may be inserted under and held in place by tabs presented at the side edges of the cards, indicated at 36, 37, without the, cover of one card interferring with the cover of the other. In FIG. 2, cover 35 of card 30 is so fastened. It the depending card had a smaller width than the card supporting it, the depending card'would normally be mounted outwardly of the supporting card.

' This latter relationship is'illustrated by cards 38 and 30 in FIG. 2. In thisinstance, the depending card is mounted outwardly of the card which supports it. The

, tab holding card 30 up and visible in FIG. 2 is an up- Wardly projecting tab 39 presented by the lower edge of top card 38.

The cuts formed in the side edges of a card backing portion may be used for attaching cards in horizontal rows, as shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, a card 40 is secured in place with its right-hand edge underneath a card 41. Tongue or tab 42 visible in the figure is part of card 40, formed by a suitable cut made in the backing of the card. The tab is inserted through a cut 43 in the backing of card 41, the tab formed by cut 43 being be- 7 hind the backing of card 40 and obscured from view. The frictional grab between the tabs, and the tabs and The tabs may be used for holding the outer or cover portion of a card over its backing as already indicated. If the cover is coextensive with the backing, so that the cover overlies the tab formed in the backing opposite the fold line for the. card, the cover will be flexed with intermediate portions thereof bending outwardly after zoids, it should be obvious that cuts of other shapes could be used.

The amount of space required in the mounting of a plurality of cards, when mounted in the manner contemplated, is substantially less than that required using ordinary display procedures. Attractive and varied arrangements are possible, and the attachment construction may be used with. a variety of card sizes, shapes, and proportions.

Various modifications in the arrangements and parts are possible without departing from the invention hereindisclosedf It is desired to cover all modifications and variations which would be apparent to one skilled in the art and that come within the scope of the'appended claims.

It is claimed and-desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An interlocking greeting card comprising a flexible sheet body having a substantially rectangular backing portion and a cover portion connected along one edge through a fold line to one edge of said backing portion, and a nonlinear cut formed inwardly from but adjacent the four edges of said backing portion intermediate the ends of the edges, the cuts adjacent the top and bottom edges of said backing portion being aligned vertically and extending horizontally across the sheet body, the cuts adjacent the side edges of said backing portion being aligned horizontally and extending vertically across said backing portion,'said cuts being of equal size and arching intermediate their ends toward the center of said backing portion, the cut adjacent the edge of said backing portion opposite said one edge of said backing portion lying under said cover portion when said cover portion is bent in covering'relation over said backing portion.

2. The combination of a pair of greeting cards comprised of stiff flexible material and having substantially flat backing portions of rectangular outline, the backing portions of said cards being secured to each other by a pair of interlocking tabs integral one with the backing its insertion under a tab. This is illustrated by cover 35 in FIG. 2.

The cover of a card may be held in place even though the tab opposite the fold line for the card is used for attachment of another card, as shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, cover 5-0 of card 40 is tucked underneath the backing portion of card 41, a portion of the backing of card 41 being under tab 42.

In FIG. 5 there is illustrated a cut 56, forminga tongue or tab 57. Cut 56 is not continuous, but is separated at points spaced along its length by web portions 58. These web portions are torn apart when tab '57 is broken apart and free of the body of the card. This construction would be desirable in mass produced cards for keeping the tabs in the plane of the backing portions when not used.

While the tabs are shown at the top, bottom, and two side edges of a card, with pairs aligned vertically and horizontally, it would also be possible to arrange the tabs so that they are aligned in directions angularly disposed from 'a horizontal and vertical. Such tabs could be used for arranging cards in rows extending in directions other than horizontal and vertical directions. The construction, however, is not well adapted for use with foldtype cards of the conventional sort.

While the cuts are shown shaped as a truncated trapeportion of each of the cards, each tab being defined by an elongated arched cut formed in the backing portion of the card next to but inwardly from one edge thereof with the cut archingtoward the center of the backing portion, the cut in one card providing a slot means receiving the tab of the other card, the cut in said other card providing a slot means receiving the tab of said one card, one of said cards having a cover portion joined at one edge through a fold line to an edge of-its backing portion which extends normally to the said one edge of its backing portion, the backing portion of the card with the cover portion having an additional cut arching toward said fold line and defininga tab opposite said fold line that is in position to hold the free end of Said cover portion in place,

References Qited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,893 Kehr July 13, 1880 246,298 Eckman Aug. 30, 1881 1,474,174 Segall Nov. 13, 1923 1,862,450 Ainsworth June 7, 1932 2,379,637 Hofi'mann July 3, 1945 2,745,545 Dunning May 15, 1956 2,780,403 James Feb. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 721,320 France Dec. 12, 1931 

